Aragon MotoGP: Quartararo takes pole despite hip injury
Championship leader Fabio Quartararo claimed his 10th MotoGP pole after topping Aragon Grand Prix qualifying just hours after a heavy crash in FP3 left him with a hip injury.
Quartararo was flicked from his Petronas SRT Yamaha in FP3 at Turn 14 and had to be taken to the medical centre for checks on his hip – though was found to have escaped broken bones.
FP4 pacesetter Franco Morbidelli set the early pace on his Petronas SRT Yamaha with a 1m48.090s, though he would be deposed by Q1 graduate Jack Miller.
The Pramac rider fired in a 1m47.657s on his Ducati, while Morbidelli’s second lap put him just 0.002 seconds adrift.
Two minutes later, Quartararo showed no obvious ill-effects from his FP3 crash to take over provisional pole with a 1m47.657s to lead Morbidelli by 0.089s as the first runs came to an end.
Maverick Vinales moved the goal posts with two minutes to go on the works team M1 with a 1m47.125s, and improved marginally on his final lap to a 1m47.122s.
But Quartararo would deny his Yamaha stablemate, the Frenchman digging deep for a 1m47.076s in his last effort to claim his fourth pole of 2020.
Vinales held onto second, while LCR’s Cal Crutchlow registered his first front row since last year’s US GP in third.
Morbidelli found himself shuffled off the front row at the chequered flag into fourth, with Miller and Suzuki’s Joan Mir completing the top six.
Takaaki Nakagami just missed out on a place on the second row in seventh on his LCR Honda, with Q1 pacesetter Danilo Petrucci eighth on the Ducati ahead of Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro.
Espargaro and his KTM-mounted brother Pol made contact in the latter stages of Q2 at the last corner, with the latter ending up 12th behind Honda rookie Alex Marquez and the sister Suzuki of Alex Rins.
Dovizioso’s tough Aragon GP weekend took another sour turn as he was knocked out of the Q2 progression slots by his own Ducati stablemates Petrucci and Miller.
Showing a rare outburst of anger as he returned to his garage, Dovizioso will start Sunday’s race from 13th and his title hopes appear to be slipping away from him.
KTM’s Brad Binder will start alongside in 14th from KTM counterpart Iker Lecuona on the Tech 3 RC16, with Johann Zarco (Avintia) heading the struggling Pramac Ducati of Francesco Bagnaia.
Miguel Oliveira was some four tenths shy of his Tech3 teammate in 18th, with Aprilia’s Bradley Smith, Tito Rabat on the sister Avintia Ducati and Honda’s Stefan Bradl complete the field.
Q2 results:
Cla | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | | ![]() | Yamaha | 1'47.076 | |
2 | | ![]() | Yamaha | 1'47.122 | 0.046 |
3 | | ![]() | Honda | 1'47.305 | 0.229 |
4 | | ![]() | Yamaha | 1'47.317 | 0.241 |
5 | | ![]() | Ducati | 1'47.413 | 0.337 |
6 | | ![]() | Suzuki | 1'47.679 | 0.603 |
7 | | ![]() | Honda | 1'47.759 | 0.683 |
8 | | ![]() | Ducati | 1'47.924 | 0.848 |
9 | | ![]() | Aprilia | 1'47.988 | 0.912 |
10 | | ![]() | Suzuki | 1'48.035 | 0.959 |
11 | | ![]() | Honda | 1'48.189 | 1.113 |
12 | | ![]() | KTM | 1'48.202 | 1.126 |
View full results |
Q1 results:
Cla | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | | ![]() | Ducati | 1'47.605 | |
2 | | ![]() | Ducati | 1'47.737 | 0.132 |
3 | | ![]() | Ducati | 1'47.752 | 0.147 |
4 | | ![]() | KTM | 1'47.853 | 0.248 |
5 | | ![]() | KTM | 1'48.005 | 0.400 |
6 | | ![]() | Ducati | 1'48.068 | 0.463 |
7 | | ![]() | Ducati | 1'48.386 | 0.781 |
8 | | ![]() | KTM | 1'48.431 | 0.826 |
9 | | ![]() | Aprilia | 1'48.556 | 0.951 |
10 | | ![]() | Ducati | 1'48.558 | 0.953 |
11 | | ![]() | Honda | 1'49.166 | 1.561 |
View full results |
Related video

Previous article
Delay in Iannone doping ban decision 'damages' Aprilia - CEO
Next article
MotoGP on TV today – How can I watch the Aragon Grand Prix?

About this article
Series | MotoGP |
Event | Aragon GP |
Sub-event | Q2 |
Author | Lewis Duncan |
Aragon MotoGP: Quartararo takes pole despite hip injury
Trending
Repsol Honda Team - Pol Espargaró Q&A
Repsol Honda Team - Marc Marquez Q&A
Why Alex Marquez doesn't care about 'shutting up' MotoGP critics
Alex Marquez's form was one of MotoGP 2020's biggest surprises and, by firmly stepping out of his six-time world champion brother Marc's shadow, he proved a few people wrong. Not that he cares about this, as he tells Lewis Duncan
How Yamaha's new MotoGP era can unchain Vinales
After the electrifying start to his Yamaha MotoGP career in 2017, Maverick Vinales has struggled for consistency. Many anticipate that the arrival of Fabio Quartararo could spell disaster, but the departure of Valentino Rossi could be just the impetus he needs.
Does KTM really need 'super engine' for MotoGP title challenge?
Fears from rival MotoGP manufacturers that KTM would build a 'super engine' for 2021 have ultimately come to nothing with the revealation that the RC16 hasn't been radically changed over the winter. But does it really need that to win the title?
How Ducati's latest Aussie union can return it to MotoGP glory
Australians on Ducatis is an iconic partnership, the marque's last one yielding its sole MotoGP crown to date. But its latest Aussie union with the often underestimated Jack Miller can end this drought.
The "balls out" battle between MotoGP's true greats
Senna vs Prost is regularly cited as motorsport's greatest rivalry. But it can easily be argued Rainey vs Schwantz can stake that claim. That rivalry was in full swing during the 1991 500cc season, remembered fondly by both stars 30 years on...
The "warrior" MotoGP rookie KTM was right to back
The 2020 MotoGP campaign featured a standout pair of rookies, but one flew under the radar as he adjusted to a shock step-up armed with very little racing experience. However as his veteran team boss explains, the faith shown in him was not misplaced
Why Suzuki's Brivio replacement must come from within
With its charismatic leader Davide Brivio leaving for Formula 1, the Suzuki MotoGP squad he turned into a world championship-winning force in 2020 has a major recruitment headache that it needs to resolve carefully.
Why Alpine's latest signing could be its best hope of F1 glory
The return of Fernando Alonso to the renamed Alpine team is a sure sign of the team's ambition. But its latest appointment from MotoGP could be an even bigger coup as it seeks to end a barren run stretching back to Alonso's 2006 world title